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B. J. BROOKS.

SEAL.

Inventar EDWARD J. BROOKS, hi8 flwarne y Witness es 6. WWW),

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N. PETERS. Phoiu-Ulhagnphnr, Wuhingion. D

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. BROdKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO J.

BROOKS & COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,007, dated November 8, 1887.

Application filed September 10, 188 7. Serial No. 249.330. m. model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Seals, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates, primarily, to pressfastened metallic seals having recessed sealdisks, such as those set forth in my specifications forming part of United States Patents -No.v 253,674, dated February 14, 1882, No. 294,57 6, dated March 4, 1884, and No. 368,126, dated August 9, 1887, particularly the latter; but it may be embodied in any soft-metal seal-disk which is compressed in any Way to fasten a wire or cord shackle or the like, and thus to secure a car-door fastening or the like from being opened without detection.

All press-fastened seals dependlargely for security on preventing access to those portions of the shackle which are inclosed within the seal-disk or coact directly therewith, and on insuring the detection ofattempts to open the seals, or any tampering with them, and particularly with the seal-disk. Such seal-disks as commonly made, being wholly of more or less pure lead, can be cut, bent,,and otherwise manipulated, and afterward restored in appearance so as to deceiveeven experts.

. Means for preventing the cutting of certain styles of seal-disks or insuring its detection are set fort-h in my specification forming part of United States Patent No. 321,275, dated June 30, 1885. v

The present invention consists, generally speaking, in a novel means for preventing any tampering with soft-metal seal-disks by bending as well as by cutting, and for insuring the detection of either at the cursory examination which must in most cases be relied on, such means being applicable to every variety of soft-metal seal-disks, as aforesaid.

This invention consists more particularly, first, in a soft-metal seal-disk having hard particles, as. of brittle metal, distributed throughout the same, as means for preventing or insuring the detection of cutting and bending either or both; secondly, in the combination, with ashackle-wire, of a soft-metal sealdiskrecessed to receive one or both shackle ends, or loops of the same, sidewise, and provided with hard particles distributed throughout the metal of the seal-disk, whereby the seal-disk and every part thereof is rendered brittle as against bending, so as to prevent releasing and'replacing either shackle end, after the seal is fastened, by compressing it in any approved way without so marring the seal-disk by fractures as to insure detection and,thirdly, in a brittle compressible seal-disk composed of a mixture of soft lead and ahard and brittle alloy of lead and antimony, as hereinafter set forth, as a new article of manufacture.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof. I

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective View of a recessed seal, illustrating the present invention. Fig. 2 is a like view thereof applied to ear-door staples and ready to be pressed. Fig. 3 is a like view of the same pressed. Figs 2 and 3 represent magnified crosssections through the seal-disk, as shown in the respective figures correspondingly numbered. Figs. 4 and5 are perspective views of another recessed seal, illustrating the same invention. Fig. 5 represents a cross-section 5; and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of two more pressedseals, illustrating different ways of fastening such seals.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Each of the seal-disksA B G D represented by the drawings is composed of a soft metal, as lead, represented by a in Figs. 2*, 3*, and 5 and hard and brittle particles 1), the latter preferably of an alloy of lead and antimony in suitable proportions, having its melting-point above that of lead, as in typemetal, for example. The alloy may be cast in convenient forms and crushed, or the particles b may be supplied by crushed type, or in any convenient way. These hard particles are mixed with melted lead, with which theyreadily combine, so as to be distributed throughout the sealdisk in sufficient number to render the same and every part thereof brittle, as against bending and rebending. Consequently the pressed seal-disks represented by Figs. 8, 3 5, 5 6, and 7 cannot be opened by cutting and bendthrough the pressed seal represented by Fig.

ing them,so as to remove and replace a shackle end, without detection; nor can their threading-holes h nor their recesses r be opened by lifting the lead, even when the seal-disk is only imperfectly pressed. At the same time the seal-disks may be cast on shackle-wires \V, as represented, or this may of course be omitted; and the composite metal submits to compression in the seal-press, where the displacement of particles is molecular, so to speak, and the seal-disks may be pressed in any preferred shape, as represented by Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 7, including roller-pressing, as illustrated by the figure last named. The wire XV may also be of any approved kind. A thin flexible wire is represented in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

My detector-wire, with anchoring indentations 2', patented June 27, 1876, (United States Patent No. 179,260,) is represented in Fig. 6; and my detector-wire with bent-up anchoring 'enlargements c, patented July 3, 1877, (United States Patent No. 192,735,) is repre sented in Fig. 7.

The recessed seals represented by Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, are two of those patented August 9, 1887, and reference is made to said Patent No. 368,126 for a fuller description thereof. The present invention nay in like manner be embodied in any other soft-metal seal-disk, and many immaterial modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It

is, however, peculiarly important in such recessed seals, wherein, unless the seal-disk is very thoroughly pressed, crevices 0 will be left, which in soft lead can be opened so as to release one end of the wire, and the wire and lead can be replaced so as to escape detection. This is effectually prevented by my present invention.

Having thus described my said improvement in seals, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. I11 a seal, a soft-metal seal-disk having hard particles, as of brittle metal, distributed throughout the same, substantially as herein specified, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a shackle-wire, of a soft-metal seatdisk recessed to receive one or both ends of the wire, or loops of the same sidewise,and provided with hard particles distributed throughout the metal of theseal-disk, substantially as herein specified, for the purpose set forth.

3. A brittle compressible seal-disk composed ofa mixture of soft lead and an alloy of lead and antimony, in hard and brittle particles, substantially as herein specified, as a new article of manufacture.

EDXVARD J. BROOKS.

WVitnesses:

James E. HoLLnY, HEXRY D. O. TENK. 

